As you may have heard, Microsoft has long ago announced the retirement of its most successful software platform of all time, Windows XP. Effective April 8, 2014, Microsoft will no longer support the Windows XP platform in any way, shape or form.

What This Means If You Are Currently Running XP

This means any computer or server with Windows XP installed will be completely exposed to serious hacker attacks aimed at taking control of your network, stealing data, crashing your system and inflicting a host of other business-crippling problems you do NOT want to have to deal with. This is such a serious threat that all companies housing financial and medical information are being required by law to upgrade any and all computer systems running XP because firewalls and antivirus software will NOT be sufficient to completely protect them (or you). Unless you don’t care about cyber criminals running rampant in your company’s server, you MUST upgrade any servers or workstations running these programs no later than April 8, 2014.

The Time To Act Is Now

As Windows XP comes to the end of its life, businesses with software applications dependent on XP will feel the effects. Not only will Microsoft stop supporting XP, so can any other company that still has software built for XP that they are currently supporting. The writing is on the wall and these companies will follow. Companies producing antivirus and firewall software will also have no reason to continue releasing updates for something considered to be dead. Don’t wait until the last minute to plan for an XP-free business existence. We fully expect to be extremely busy now through April 8.Schedule your Microsoft XP Risk Assessment and Migration Planning Consultation today by calling our office at 804-796-2631.

Shiny New Gadget

Of The Month:

Lockitron: Keyless Entry Using Your Phone

Hate taking your keys with you on a run? Have friends coming to visit and can’t be there to let them in? No worries… Now you can lock your door from anywhere in the world. Any smartphone can use Lockitron through its intuitive two-button app. With Lockitron you can instantly share access with your family and friends. In addition to the convenience, Lockitron gives you peace of mind. Lockitron lets you see if your door is locked when you’re gone. It will send a notification when someone unlocks the door using a phone or key. Here are some of the key details (pun intended):

Any phone works – Lockitron is compatible with any smartphone, thanks to our mobile web site. Older phones can use Lockitron through simple text-message commands.

WiFi built in – Lockitron connects to the Internet, thanks to built-in WiFi. You can control Lockitron and receive notifications from Lockitron anywhere in the world.

Keyless entry – If you use an iPhone 4S or iPhone 5, you can enable Lockitron to sense when you walk up to the door and unlock for you using Bluetooth 4.0.

Powerfully smart – Thanks to intelligent power management, Lockitron’s batteries last for up to one year. Lockitron will even send you a notification when they are running low.

Easily customizable – You can control your Lockitron through our incredibly simple API endpoints or program it directly, thanks to its Arduino-compatible ATMega microprocessor.

Workplace Lemons (How Not To Be One)

According the Wikipedia, “Lemon laws are American state laws that provide a remedy for purchasers of cars in order to compensate for cars that repeatedly fail to meet standards of quality and performance.” No one wants to spend money for a car or other product that is defective or doesn’t meet expected standards. And no one likes to be disappointed by what they get for the money they spend. What if there were lemon laws for disappointing workplace performance? As an employee who is paid by an employer to perform, what might get you disqualified as a “lemon”? In the workplace, they’re not called “lemon laws.” They are called dismissal and termination. And they’re bad for both the employer and the employee. If you like your job, you don’t want to be replaced for being defective in the results you deliver. Here are three ways to make sure your work won’t invoke the spirit of the lemon law:1. Know what is expected Every employer has expectations when they do business with you. Unfortunately, some employees don’t find out what those expectations are until after they’re not met. Meet with your manager to clarify your own job expectations. That includes where you should focus your attention, what gets priority and what skills you need to develop or improve. Priorities change, so regularly schedule a brief meeting for feedback on your performance to make sure you’re focused on doing the right things.2. Meet standards and, if possible, exceed them The most valued employees are those who know how to add value to their work. To earn more, contribute more. The worst thing you can do, for an employer or a customer, is to over-promise and under-deliver. That’s a guaranteed strategy for disappointment. Consider these questions: What are you doing to exceed expectations? Are you willing and able to do a little more than expected? Are you unique in a way that your company values, or are you interchangeable with anyone else who could do the job?3. Commit to excellence Excellence begins with a mind-set. It is the commitment to focus your attention and skills to create something worthy of you, valued by your employer and worthwhile to your customer. Those who do only “just enough” often get by but they never get ahead. Employers appreciate not just the work that is done, but the attitude of the person doing the work. There is an old and familiar saying: “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” That’s great advice for dealing with adversity and setbacks. But if you want to be a valued employee and move ahead in your career, make sure your work doesn’t qualify for any lemon laws of low performance. Instead, strive to be a positive example of superior performance.4. Seek feedback One way to assure that your performance is as expected or better is to ask for ongoing feedback. Don’t just inquire about how you’re doing; specifically ask about what you could do differently or better to improve your work. A rational employer will appreciate your efforts to assure quality and get better at what you do. If there were lemon laws for workplace performance, neither you nor I would want to invoke them with substandard work. Aim to meet expectations, continually improve performance and become an encore performer in your organization.

Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE, is president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., an idea studio dedicated to developing leaders in business and in life. Mark is an international best-selling author and noted authority on leadership, team building, customer service and change. Mark is the author of eight books, including the bestseller The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary, which has sold more than 1.6 million copies internationally.

Free Microsoft Office 365 Cloud Software For Non-Profits?

As part of its “Technology For Good” program, Microsoft has recently announced that it is giving away Microsoft Office 365 software licenses for free to qualified nonprofit organizations. Office 365 is Microsoft’s cloud-based software solution that allows users to run office applications, e-mail, calendars, video conferencing and more all through the web.

The Office 365 donation program is part of Microsoft’s larger giving program where it hands out $2 million worth of software each and every day to nonprofits around the world. This specific program donates the “cloud only” Web Apps version of Microsoft Office 365, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, online cloud storage and more, to qualified organizations. Nonprofits can upgrade to the cloud/desktop hybrid version of Office 365 for a reduced rate of over 75% off the normal price.

See If You Qualify: Eligible nonprofits must hold recognized charitable status and must have a mission to benefit the local community in areas such as providing relief to the poor, advancing education, improving social welfare, preserving culture, restoring the environment, promoting human rights and establishing a civil society.

If you’re a nonprofit organization or have a nonprofit organization in mind that could benefit from this free program, you can check for availability online at: http://www.microsoft.com/office365nonprofits.

Things You Probably Didn’t Know About December

December is known around the world as a family time of celebration honoring cultures, religions and traditions that have been with humanity for hundreds of years. See below for a mix of the weird and wonderful facts about this magical month! 1. An almanac prediction states that if snow falls on Christmas Day, Easter will be warm, green and sunny. 2. The name December comes from the Latin decem for “ten,” as it was the 10th month in the Roman calendar. 3. December 12th is Poinsettia Day. 4. Saint Nicholas, who would eventually be called Santa Claus, was originally the patron saint of children, thieves and pawnbrokers! 5. December 28th is considered by some to be the unluckiest day of the year. 6. The first artificial Christmas tree was made in Germany, fashioned out of goose feathers that were dyed green! 7. Spiders and spiderwebs are considered good luck on Christmas. 8. “Jingle Bells” was composed in 1857, and not for Christmas – it was meant to be a Thanksgiving song! 9. In 1647, Oliver Cromwell, English Puritan leader, banned the festivities of Christmas for being immoral on such a holy day. Anyone who was seen celebrating was arrested! The ban was lifted in 1660. 10. An ancient legend states that forest animals can speak in human language on Christmas Eve!

1. Cyber Thieves Keep A-Knockin’ But They Can’t Come In. A study presented at the International Conference on Dependable Systems and Networks showed that small-business networks are attacked every 39 seconds by some type of hacker or malicious software. Thankfully, having the proper firewall and office network security tools can prevent even the most determined cyber hacker from getting his hands on your network.2. Downtime Should Be A Thing Of The Past. Thanks to monitoring and maintenance tools that are openly available, any reputable computer company can now actually notice when things go awry and prevent your computers from having issues. Hot fixes, patches and security updates are generally items that, when maintained on a regular basis, keep a network healthy and up and running. If, for some reason, your network still has some kind of downtime, cloud-based remote management tools allow your IT professional to access your system from anywhere, getting you up and running more quickly than ever before.3. If Disaster Strikes, You Can Be Back Up & Running In Minutes Instead Of Days. In addition to lost data, many businesses’ operations would be completely down for days or weeks if a major disaster like fire, flood or theft ever occurred. Here’s where Backup & Disaster Recovery solutions (BDR) can help you feel very thankful indeed. Most of today’s BDR solutions include a “virtualization” component, which means an exact “picture” of your server and computers is taken throughout the day and stored elsewhere. If you ever need to get back up and running, your IT company simply restores that image…and you’re back in business.

Want To Feel Thankful Instead Of Frustrated With Your Small Business’ IT? Call BEL Network Integration & Support for a FREE Problem Prevention Network Audit (a $297 value) that will help eliminate problems on your network and give you peace of mind.

CALL 804-796-2631 NOW!

Shiny New Gadget of the Month

Leap Motion Controller

Just when you thought technology couldn’t make things any easier, they’ve gone and done it again! With a wave of a hand or lift of a finger, you’re about to use your computer in a whole new way. The Leap Motion Controller senses the way you naturally move your hands. So you can point, wave, reach and grab. Even pick something up and put it down. Just like in real life. It’s an amazing device for the things you do every day and for the things you never thought you could do. · Browse the web, read articles, flip through photos and play music just by lifting a finger. · Draw, paint and design with your fingertip. You can even use a real pencil or paintbrush. · Sculpt, mold, stretch and bend 3D objects. Take things apart and put them back together. · Pick, pluck, strum and drum. Play air guitar, air harp or air anything. · Slice fruit and shoot bad guys with your finger. You literally hold all the power in your fingertips. This sensitive device provides superb accuracy up to 1/100th of a millimeter. Get yours today for just $79.99. https://www.leapmotion.com/product

Solid Strategies = Solid Success

Success results from a solid strategy. Even the greatest ideas are of little value unless they are backed up by a practical and workable plan of action. The word strategy comes from an ancient Greek term that literally means to be a general, leading troops into battle. Setting up a good strategic plan involves five steps: The first step is to translate your vision into measurable and achievable goals. You decide specifically what you want to accomplish during the next five to ten years — those are your long-range goals. Next, you break those goals down into intermediate goals — things you wish to accomplish during the next six months or year. Then you break them down further into short-term goals covering the next month or six weeks. The second step is to break your goals down into achievable objectives. Dr. Robert Schuller says, “Yard by yard life is hard, inch by inch it’s a cinch.” Working by objectives helps you concentrate on what’s important, instead of spinning your wheels on those things that seem urgent but don’t lead to your long-term goals. Objectives add purpose and direction to all your activities. The third step is to set up your strategies for accomplishing your objectives. Strategies are the specific ways you will go about achieving your objectives. The more clearly thought-out they are, the more effective they will be. Fourth, you choose each task you must complete each day to achieve your goals. This is where most planning breaks down. We tend to leave it vague — thinking that, as long as we are working hard all the time, we are achieving our goals. Most people I talk with are extremely busy — and most of them are working hard to do things right. The problem is they are not doing enough of the right things — the things that will help them achieve their goals. It is not enough to merely list each task you need to do; you need to build the tasks into your schedule. So many hours each day should be dedicated to working on specific actions that will lead to accomplishing your definite objectives. And, finally, build in the monitoring mechanisms that will help you keep track of your progress toward implementing your plan. It’s one thing to have a “gut-level feeling” that you must be doing something right because you are always working hard. But it is far better to design simple mechanisms to let you know precisely how much progress you are making. Look for a few key indicators that will help you stay on track, and monitor those like a doctor would monitor the vital signs of a patient. It doesn’t matter how much activity is going on. What matters is how successful you are in achieving your objectives. One good example would be that you would target to contact three people each day to generate new business. At the end of the day, you’d know whether you have achieved that goal. Your plan is not complete until it has been communicated satisfactorily to every person in your organization who must help to implement it.

Dr. Nido Qubein is president of High Point University, an undergraduate and graduate institution with 4,500 students from over 51 countries. He has authored two dozen books and audio programs distributed worldwide. His foundation provides scholarships to 48 deserving young people each year. As a business leader, he is chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company, with 220 stores in 43 states. He serves on the boards of several national organizations, including BB&T (a Fortune 500 company with $164 billion in assets), the La-Z-Boy Corporation (one of the largest and most recognized furniture brands worldwide) and Dots Stores (a chain of fashion boutiques with more than 400 locations across the country). Learn more about Dr. Qubein at www.nidoqubein.com.

Would You Rather Text Than Talk? Essential Tips For Business Texting

You use your iPhone or Android for everything else. Your spouse even texts you to grab some milk at the store or to tell you they’ll be gone when you get home. It’s quick, easy and gets the job done. Why not in business too? If you’re going to text for business purposes, follow these 7 texting tips to keep it professional: Consider if your message is urgent. Your text may interrupt your recipient…be sure there’s a good reason for that interruption. Is e-mail better? Most people prefer business communications via e-mail as it better respects their time and ability to respond appropriately. Text messages are also easily lost if sent at a bad time. Do they only e-mail you? If yes, respond to them in the same way. If they e-mail, send an e-mail. If they call, call them back. DON’T TYPE IN ALL CAPS. DON’T YOU FEEL LIKE SOMEONE IS YELLING AT YOU WHEN THEY TYPE IN ALL CAPS? DON’T SEND E-MAILS OR TEXTS IN ALL CAPS. Proofread your message. Ever hear of “Auto-Correct” in text messages? Some can be downright embarrassing. If you’re taking the time to write the message, take the extra seconds to proofread. No abbreviations! Your recipient shouldn’t have to decipher your text message with a decoder ring. Be as clear as you can with proper grammar and pronunciation. No sense in risking losing a customer who gets fed up with your messages. Include your name in the message. Not everyone knows who you are simply by your cellphone number. Assume that the person doesn’t know who the message is coming from. If you do text in a business environment, especially with a customer or prospect, follow these 7 tips to ensure that you are perceived as the true business professional that you are.

The Lighter Side Random Aviation Facts

· A Boeing 737 weighing 150,000 pounds (68,000 kilograms) must deflect about 88,000 pounds (40,000 kg) of air — over a million cubic feet (31,500 cubic meters) down by 55 feet (16.75 meters) each second while in flight. · A commercial aircraft door will not open in flight because it is actually bigger than the window frame itself, and the door opens inward toward the cabin. To open, it must be opened inward, rotated and then slipped sideways out of the frame. Even if the door could somehow be opened, it would be like lifting a 2,200-pound (1,000-kilogram) weight. · Most planes flying internationally have their home country’s flag painted on or around their tails. Generally, the flag is facing the proper way round on the left (port) side of the aircraft and backward on the right (starboard) side. Why? Because that’s how it would look if a real flag were hoisted on a pole above the airplane during the flight. · Airline doors and windows are often inset a few millimeters from the fuselage so that they’ll expand to be flush with the fuselage during flight. Also, the windows in an airport control tower must be tilted out at exactly 15 degrees from the vertical to minimize reflections from both inside and outside the control tower.

What are the benefits of outsourcing IT services instead of calling a repair guy when your computer is acting up?

Managed IT Services versus Break/Fix IT Services for Small Business

Richmond, VA small business owners: check out this Infographicthat lays out some pretty convincing reasons for choosing an industry-leading Managed Service Provider to manage your company’s IT systems… and then give BEL Network Integration & Support a call at 804-796-2631.

If you are still using the old “break/fix” model for your IT repairs and services, it’s time to re-evaluate. The facts are that leveraging Managed IT Services for your small business saves you down-time, lowers your IT costs, and gives you peace of mind that your networks are being watched over by professionals while you are focusing on your business.

An IT Network Evaluation is the First Step to Securing a Managed Service Provider

The first step in our process is evaluating your networks. This is a no-cost, no-obligation meeting where our Network Engineers come to your business and:

Check your firewall’s security settings to make sure you are protected from the latest hacker attacks, worms, and viruses.

What Business Owners Need To Know About Running Windows XP

Although many businesses have been getting rid of Windows XP for at least the last 3 years, the fact remains that as of early this year, around 500 million business computers were still running Windows XP. While the End of Service for Windows XP is still a few months away (April 9, 2014), here are 7 of the top reasons running Windows XP should scare any business owner right now:

Tons Of Viruses: There is a huge library of viruses aimed at Windows XP and limited antivirus support still available.

XP Is OLD: (almost 12 years old). The 1st iPod was released the same year as Windows XP. In a world where the 5th iPhone has been released, no one should be left using an O/S that pre-dates the 1st iPod!

Least Secure Operating System: ALL other platforms, including Linux, all versions of Mac OS X, Windows 7 and Windows 8 are more secure than XP by a huge margin. Windows Vista is actually a far safer option (Scary!).

Built For A Simpler Time: XP was created for a simpler world of technology. It was formatted to fit to a screen only 640 pixels wide, and it showcased IE6 as a new product. The internet was a different place when XP was developed. Smartphones were non-existent, laptops were a luxury and tablet computers were science fiction.

No More Band-Aids: Only so many band-aid fixes on top of one another can be effective.

Support Is Ending: All support of XP will end on April 9, 2014. It’s time to replace your systems now while you can plan ahead.

Malware Everywhere: You can continue to use XP, but with more malware than ever. XP is by far the most vulnerable platform to connect to the internet.

Liability Running a business on an operating system that is 2 generations out of date after the end of support will put your company in an indefensible position from a legal perspective. The majority of US states have data protection laws in place requiring business owners operate with “due diligence”. I urge you to strongly consider upgrading your computers before the April 8th deadline. Don’t worry we are here to help! Call BEL Networks for upgrade options at 804-796-2631.

Have You Ever Asked Yourself:

"Where Can I Find An Honest, Dependable & Competent Computer Support Company that is Easy To Work With, Fixes Problems Fast, and Is Available When I Need Help?" Chuck Bell, the owner of BEL Network Integration & Support, LLC, has recently published his new book, "Finding Outstanding Computer Support" which is an excellent guide for business owners to help answer these questions.

BUSINESS OWNERS, FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY: Click the button below to request your free copy of Chuck's book.

Do You Allow Employees To Use Their Own Devices For Work?The evolution of personal mobile devices, and their increasing importance to business success these days, are forcing many small business owners to make a choice-"Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) vs. "Corporate Owned, Personally Enabled" (COPE).

The Typical Solution- BYOD According to the CDW 2012 Small Business Mobility Report, 89% of small business employees use their personal mobile devices for work. But the headache involved here is how do you support and secure all of these devices? The scary thing is that most small businesses don't even try! The CDW survey found that only 1 in 5 small businesses have deployed (or plan to deploy) any systems for managing and securing employees' personal devices.

The Alternative – Is COPE any Better? A minority of small businesses has implemented a Corporate Owned, Personally Enabled ("COPE") policy instead. They buy their employees' mobile devices, secure them, and then let employees load additional personal applications that they want or need. And the employers control what types of apps can be added too. The "personally enabled" aspect of COPE allows employees to choose the company-approved device they prefer while permitting them to use it both personally and professionally. COPE is certainly more controlled and secure, but for a business with a limited budget, buying devices for everyone can add up pretty quickly. If you go the COPE route and are large enough to buy in volume, you can likely negotiate substantial discounts.

Security Concerns With BYOD If you have client information that must be kept secure or other industry specific regulations regarding the security of client data, then COPE is likely your best approach. It takes out any gray area of whose is whose. Plus, there is a certain comfort level in being able to recover, or confiscate, any device for any reason at any time to protect your company without any worries of device ownership.

Which Mobile Device Policy is Right for Your Business?BEL Network Integration & Support can provide consultation services to help you decide!!

We'll match up your business objectives and your specific risk tolerance with what you want to enable your employees to do and how you want them to work.

We'll review your current mobile device policy to make sure you aren't missing CRITICAL "must-haves" on your list that could lead to big problems.

We'll review the "Locks on the Doors" of your devices. A written policy is not enough! We'll review the critical areas of your mobile device management system too often missed by small businesses.

There’s no doubt about it: e-mail has become the single most important communication tool for businesses. But messages pile up quick, taking up storage space that can be expensive to back up. And since deleting everything isn’t always an option when certain threads contain important info about projects, contracts and client communications, the smartest option it to archive your inbox. Archiving is simply a process of removing old (but important) e-mails from your “active” inbox and folders to a compressed, encrypted backup, freeing up space in your inbox and preserving your e-mails should you need to dig them up at some point in the future. Should you archive? The answer is “Yes” for 3 important reasons:

Fun facts and random bits of knowledge: If you have 3 quarters, 4 dimes, and 4 pennies, you have $1.19. You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.

The numbers ‘172’ can be found on the back of the U.S. $5 dollar bill in the bushes at the base of the Lincoln Memorial.

President Kennedy was the fastest random speaker in the world with upwards of 350 words per minute.

In the average lifetime, a person will walk the equivalent of 5 times around the equator.

Rhode Island is the smallest state with the longest name. The official name, used on all state documents, is “Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.”

Do you have Java turned on in your web browser? If your answer is “Yes” or “I’m not sure” then it’s time to take action to find out. Why? The biggest threat to your computer systems in 2013 (and beyond) is no longer Microsoft Windows – it is Oracle Java.

Most businesses make the HUGE (and costly) error of mistaking a “backup” with data recovery and business continuity. Simply having a copy of your data stored somewhere does not automatically guarantee you’ll be back up and running again like you were before. The BCM Institute explains this difference by discussing three key concepts: Recovery Point Objective (RPO), Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Maximum Tolerable Outage (MTO). In order to choose the RIGHT type of back up for your company, you need to know what these three acronyms mean.

A backup is great, but a disaster recovery plan is better

We employ a cloud based spam filter, which grants you the maximum amount of protection without large hardware overhead and costs. This new spam filter REQUIRES no interaction on your behalf, and Belnis will take care of everything. There is a way in which you can interact with the system if you so choose, which is what will be outlined in this document. Please disseminate this document to any active mailbox holders with an email address ending in @domain.comRead more!